That spring morning
by L'AmourFou28
Summary: After Ron breaks up with Lavender, something pops in his mind and makes him realize that he owns some explanations to Hermione - my idea of how Ron tells Hermione he likes her


_I've had this idea a long time ago but just now I put it on words. This is my first story about Ron and Hermione, so please review? I want to know what you think about it, xoxo_

_* I know is pretty confusing with all the quotation marks, it's just that I don't really like to write conversations otherwise, sorry!_

It was Friday morning. She was seated in front of Ginny at the Great Hall. With a toast in hand, she pretended to read the Daily Prophet while her friend talked with Neville about something of the Herbology class. However, her mind was far away, at the Gryffindor Tower. There, in the boys' dormitory, Ron was sleeping after a week "locked" at the hospital wing. On Wednesday, she and Harry went to see him and, while there, he had said "Hermione" on his sleep, while Lavender was also there. They broke up the next day and, since then, Ron had been acting weird, saying he didn't know why Lavender had ended it with him. Today, she was afraid he was going to act the same way.

So when Ron entered the room with Harry, Hermione's heart stopped beating for a moment. Harry sat next to Ginny and suddenly they became impossible to talk to. Ron sat next to her, which made her blush. She pretended to continue reading the paper. He stared at the toasts for a while, not sure of what to do.

He had been feeling strange for quite a while. Or to be exact, since he had left the hospital, on Monday. He suddenly became uncomfortable around Hermione. She had become a little intimidating, like she wanted something from him, and he haven't been able to establish a conversation with her since then. Whenever he tried, something or someone would show up and his courage would slip away. Now he had the chance again.

"Any news?" Ron asked her, still starring at the food in front of him.

She jumped a little, caught off guard. "Nothing that we don't already know." She answered, attempting to sound indifferent, but failing horribly. Her voice went out louder than she wanted and her tone showed a little of desperation. What was happening with her? She never was this insecure. "But the Prophet is still making its way against Harry." She spoke again, a little more controlled this time. Ron didn't know what to say next.

Silence settled down between them until Ron finished his breakfast. Still drinking her pumpkin juice, Hermione stared at him every couple of minutes.

After a moment of hesitation, Ron invited her to go take a walk with him at the gardens. She looked surprised, but accepted his invitation, intrigued by it.

It was a sunny morning of the beginning of spring. The sun was warm, but not burning. A lot of students were seated with their books and backpacks aside. Ron and Hermione walked in silence past them. Laughs and enthusiastic conversations could be heard from all around.

When they were halfway between the castle and the Dark Forest, Ron took her arm and made her stop.

"Hermione, I … I've lied to you." He said, looking embarrassed. He was pacing around her, not looking into her eyes.

"Huh?" She didn't know where he was going with all of this.

He took a deep breath and turned around to face her. "I've lied when I said I didn't remember calling your name on my sleep." He let out, bluntly. She didn't react, confused. So he continued. "I wasn't sleeping when I called your name. It's just that… I couldn't _stand_ Lavender anymore." He let out, a little of bit of anger clouding his voice. He sighed, looking conflicted. "I needed to break up with her, but I didn't have the courage to. So I made her break up with me." He admitted. He felt defeated.

"You…" Her eyes flew over to the gardens. She wasn't sure she heard it correctly. It couldn't be. She was lost. She felt like a hurricane was taking place at her brain. "You're saying that you calling my name at the hospital wing was just…" She took a deep breath, looking back to him. "Just an excuse to make Lavender upset?" Her voice faded at the last three words, almost whispering. She was about to cry. She was torn, between the sadness of him doesn't really liking her at all and the anger of him using her as a motive to end his relationship with that vile girl.

"Well, yes." He answered uncomfortably, looking at the tears filling up her eyes. "But not just that!" He completed, quickly.

The anger became stronger than the sadness. "I can't believe you, Ronald!" She spat out the words out. She pointed her index finger in the middle of his chest. "I can't believe that for _one second_ I thought that you had changed!" She was screaming now. "That you had _grown up_, that you… liked me at all! How stupid I was!" She felt blinded by the anger, breathing quickly and superficially. Her eyes weren't focusing him anymore, travelling around. "You…me…something…Lavender… and you… and…" She was whispering, lost in her thoughts. He was stuck in his place, looking at her with wide open eyes. Suddenly she faced him again.

"I HATE YOU! Don't you _dare_ talk to me _ever again_!" She screamed.

She turned away from him and ran to the castle, tears streaming down her face embarrassingly. Getting out his trance, he ran after her. "Hey! Wait!" Faster than her, he grabbed her right arm and stopped her before she could reach the stairs.

Hermione turned around, trying to release her arm, her nails scratching his hands. "Stop!" He spoke, angrily, grabbing her both arms above her elbows. She stopped, surprise and a little frightened. He was looking right into her eyes, trying to decipher her, somehow. She was breathless by the run. They stayed like that for a while. When she seemed more calm, he spoke.

"What did you just say?" He asked, quietly. She looked confused for a bit.

"That I hate you! And for you not to talk to me!" She answered rudely, her anger coming back. She tried to escape from him again, but he held her tighter.

"No. Before that." He was looking at her seriously. She had never seen that side of him before. "When you said that you thought that I liked you." She felt her cheeks blush instantly. She didn't realize he had caught that. She was _really_ hoping he wouldn't bring it up. She cursed herself for saying that out loud.

"What about that?" She tried to seem indifferent, like it was no big deal. But her unsteady voice revealed her discomfort. She breathed. "It obviously isn't true, is it?" She asked, her voice controlled now. "You were just using me." She accused him.

He released her arms, looking ashamed and confused. He didn't expect her to be so hurt by it. He knew she would be mad when he told her, but he never thought it be like this. Her infuriated eyes showed him that same hurt girl she was when he made fun of her in their first year. That girl that he mocked about with his friends, saying she was a nightmare. And it hurt him that he was the cause of her suffering, again.

"Yeah…" He whispered, eyes lost, searching for the right thing to say. "But just on the beginning." She sighed ironically, not believing him. He continued. "After I said that, I thought about it every night and day." He locked his eyes onto hers. "And I realized something." He stopped talking, trying to pick up courage.

Hermione felt her anger melt. He looked conflicted, eyes staring at the floor. She waited, until she realized he wasn't going to say anything. "And what is it that you have realized?" She asked, quietly. He lifted his head to look at her.

"I realized… that the reason why I called your name at the hospital, and not _anyone else's_ is because…" He sighed, sounding a bit desperate. "You are more than a friend to me. More than my best friend. You are…" She was totally focused in his eyes, anxious for him to continue.

He was losing his courage. "You… Ah, I'm so bad at this!" He threw his hands up in the air, frustrated. He turned away from her, staring at the lake.

She felt sorry for him. He was struggling, not sure how to act or say whatever he wanted to say. He needed a little push.

"No, you're not. Go on." She spoke gently, touching his shoulder. He turned to face her again.

"Hermione, I'm sorry for being such a jerk to you for all these years…" He spoke like he was stating the obvious.

She seemed confused. "What? No…" He put a finger on her lips.

"No, just… just let me finish." He asked, serious. She followed what he said, staying quiet, her eyes locked on his again.

"I've been a terrible friend because… I don't really know how to be friends with you." He stated. He took a moment to choose his words."Since our third year… I've wanted more. I bugged you because, somehow, it brought me closer to you." He searched for support on her eyes, and found it, along with her comforting . "And, I don't know why, I've always thought it wasn't enough. It seemed to me that the more I provoked you, the more you were closer to Harry!" He sounded surprised by how ridiculous this argument seemed when put on words. "In our fourth year, when Harry and I had that fight, it was because of you! Because I was jealous of you giving him all the attention in the Tri-wizard Tournament!" She smiled a little.

"Ron, that's totally irrational!" She sounded almost amused.

"I know! It's madness!" He smiled, glad that she had let the anger pass away. "But… I'm missing the whole point here." H became serious again, concentrating on what he was about to say. "The reason why I called your name at the hospital wing is because … I like you." He admitted, feeling like he had just lifted a weight from his chest. "I've liked you for a long time. And not just in the friend way, in the…" Embarrassed, he lowered his voice until it was almost impossible to hear. "… in the love way. I just didn't know how to express it the right way. And when I called you at the hospital, you were so happy." He spoke gently, a sweet smile forming across his face. "I couldn't believe it was actually true. So it took me these days to finally realize what happened." He sighed, relieved. "And, I have to ask… Do you… like me? "He asked, apprehensive. "Like someone you could possibly… date?"

Hermione hesitated, looking at him with confusion. The hurricane in her brain had come back. A million thoughts passing through it each second. She was in awe.

As she remained silent, Ron felt his heart wither. "Look, I totally understand if you don't feel the same way, it's just that I needed to let you know."

She still couldn't find her voice. She was not giving any signs of what was she thinking. Ron was getting desperate. "I'm sorry! I didn't want you to feel uncomfortable! I'm so sorry! Please, _please_ don't let this get between our friendship! I …" He didn't know what else to say. He was not capable of deciphering her.

Then she smiled. He looked so adorable when he didn't know what to do. "Ron, stop." She giggled. "You're being ridiculous. You didn't make me feel uncomfortable. At all!" She admitted, amused. "It's just that is almost _unbelievable_ that you even have to ask! I thought that it was pretty obvious!"She had a wide smile on her face now, reaching her eyes.

"Obvious?" He looked disturbed.

She couldn't believe he was not getting it. "Ron! Of course I like you!" His eyes opened up in surprise. Then joy filled his entire body.

"I actually think that it's more than 'like'" She continued. "Is it so…"

But she couldn't finish. "It's all I needed to hear."He whispered. And she hadn't even understood what he had just said when he grabbed her and kissed her passionately.

So long they've waited for that moment to happen that, when it came, they both knew it was meant to be. That feeling they've both been hiding could finally come out. And it felt so good, so right.

"What took us so long?" Ron whispered in her ear. They were lying under a tree now, admiring the sun's reflection on the lake's surface. She was leaning against his chest, one of his arms embracing her and the other gently stroking her hair.

They were wishing that day would never end. That they could stay like that forever, only the two of them. That the night wouldn't come and they wouldn't have to get up and go back to the dormitories.

"I have no idea." She whispered back, turning to face him. "But what I do know… is that I'm not letting you go away."

"I will never leave you." He promised, with all his heart.


End file.
